At least 41 individuals have lost their lives and 49 others were rescued after a vessel capsized on Lake Tanganyika in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Norris Mulongoyi, the provincial transport minister for Tanganyika province, confirmed to The Associated Press that search operations are currently underway to locate remaining passengers.
The boat was reportedly transporting approximately 100 people and cargo when it sank near the Congolese village of Mapera. It was en route from the Tanzanian port of Kigoma to the city of Kalemie when the disaster occurred on Thursday.
Annie Moyoni, a survivor who spoke to Radio Okapi, a UN-backed Congolese broadcaster, stated that passengers were awakened around 1 a.m. and discovered the vessel tilting to one side. The specific cause of the capsize remains unclear.
Boat accidents have claimed hundreds of lives in the DRC in recent years, often due to overloaded vessels and a lack of life jackets. For many residents in the world’s poorest nations, boat travel remains the most affordable mode of transportation, as the country struggles with insufficient infrastructure for its population exceeding 100 million.
This incident marks the second fatal vessel loss on the Kigoma-Kalemie route in less than a month. On August 28, the Congolese ship MV Pacifique caught fire and exploded at the Kigoma port while loading fuel. Port authorities reported that six crew members died and a seventh was missing.
Additionally, at least 20 people died in July when a wooden boat carrying students returning from state exams sank in central DRC.
49 rescued is a small mercy, but 41 lives lost is a huge tragedy. The search needs to continue urgently.
Is it just me, or does this happen far too often? Why hasn’t anything changed after the Pacifique disaster?
Heartbreaking news. The lack of safety regulations on these lakes is terrifying. Please stay safe out there.